Market Manager

Market Manager

Project Overview and Role:
NU-TEC MD is a five year FCDO funded programme that aims to increase the incomes and climate resilience of poor-men and women in northern Uganda (NU) by (a) stimulating sustainable, pro-poor growth in selected agricultural markets and (b) improving the position of poor men and women within these market systems, to make them more inclusive for poor people. Palladium manages the programme on behalf of FCDO.

NU-TEC MD has the potential to sustainably and significantly improve the livelihoods of over 750,000 poor people in NU.

It is expected that the programme will deliver the following results:
* At least 750,000 poor people in Northern Uganda, 50% women, will see their resilience to climate change increased and incomes raised by at least 15%
* At least £55m in new investment supported by the project (excluding loans)
* At least £90m in additional turnover in businesses supported by the project

PURPOSE
To provide strategic direction and management to the market sections within the programme market groups – determining the overall direction and delivery on set market outputs through the core programme market team.

SCOPE OF WORK
The Market Manager will have the overall responsibility of providing strategic guidance and management for the programme’ market groups by managing all the programme interventions within the market section and overseeing both the strategic and administrative elements of the interventions. S/he will also be required to establish and manage relationships with potential partners and stakeholders in the various interventions within the market sector. The Market Manager will identify and design potential interventions for the programme and develop strategies for implementing these interventions.

S/he will be responsible for ensuring strong linkages between the market sector and the Results Measurement team of the programme.

This position is based in Gulu with frequent travels to the field and to Kampala.

The NU-TEC staff work as an integrated team. The Market Manager will be expected to contribute to other aspects of the programme.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:
* Provide overall strategic direction for the market sector and all interventions within the sector; monitoring and quality assuring all intervention guides and resulting outputs.
* Identify new markets or market actors with the aim of contributing to the overall programme strategy; liaise with programme senior management team on potential markets and design effective implementation strategies for approved market interventions ensuring that they meet all donor and programme requirements.
* Identify and establish strategic partnerships within the market and play a lead role in managing all established partnerships.This will include approaching firms or other market actors and brokering deals.
* Lead on determining the commercial viability of new product areas within new market actors; identify the strategic partnerships between NU-TEC MD and these potential market actors.
* Coordinate the development of final market opportunity reports as well as all other weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual reports within the market sector.
* Drive the stakeholder analysis of the selected market systems as well as identifying and contacting potential agents of change.
* Oversee the implementation of all market intervention ensuring that initiative is taken within each intervention and setting work plans for the interventions.
* Ensure sustained reporting on all intervention activities, progress reports, on and off field feedback and lessons learnt from each intervention.
* Identify key policy areas for each intervention and establish appropriate partnerships and contacts aimed at driving the policy amendment process where applicable.
* Coordinate all administrative aspects of Market partnerships including but not limited to grants, MoUs and contracts.
* Manage the outputs of all members of the market section team ensuring optimum performance of all members of the team.
* Establish and maintain processes and systems which ensure strong continued linkages between the programme’s Results Measurement team and the Market Section team ensuring all interventions are adequately and extensively researched, reported and monitored.
* Oversee spending on interventions within the market section ensuring they meet agreed standards and also exhibit the FCDO value for money policy.

Required Qualifications:
* A Masters’ degree or similar qualification in Business, Economics or Development Studies.

A minimum of 3 years’ experience in implementing and managing projects with at least one year spent on the field on market research community projects:
* At least 2 years’ experience leading a busy team and coordinating across teams.
* Experience in business strategy development with focus on agricultural value chain analysis.
* Experience in the development of surveys and data collection instruments for monitoring programmes.
* Previous data analysis experience using Microsoft Excel or any other data analysis tool.
* Previous experience using the market for the poor (M4P) approach would be of great advantage.
* Knowledge of the institutions and organizations and/or businesses that provide services to the agricultural sector in Uganda and at the State level;

KEY COMPETENCIES REQUIRED
* The ability to work within a fast-paced and dynamic environment.
* Excellent communications skills.
* A passion for the international development sector.
* A relationship builder.
* Exceptional analytical and writing skills.
* Innovator, a coach and political economist.

Please submit your application via the Palladium careers page: www.thepalladiumgroup.com/work/jobs. The deadline for all applications is Thursday 31st December 2020.